A New Buffalo sophomore was airlifted by helicopter to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids on Monday after fracturing her skull at a 908 S. Main St. residence.

Abbey Dixon, 20, was injured while going down a stairway at the off-campus location where local authorities responded at 6:57 p.m.

Courtney Dixon, Abbey's sister, said she had brain surgery Monday night, and her condition has improved.

“They took the neck brace off of her and she’s breathing on her own, but she has a long way to go to recovery in rehab,” Courtney said. “She’s in a lot of pain, and she needs a lot of prayers and support.”

Korbi Forker, a friend of Abbey and her family who lives in Chicago, joined the family at the hospital for support.

When Forker arrived at the hospital, she found out Abbey had a fractured skull and a neck injury.

“During the surgery, her left side wasn’t responding at all, so we were really worried that there wasn’t going to be any response for a few days," Forker said. "She can move both of her arms and both of her legs. She can squeeze her hands and she’s breathing. That was a miracle.”

So far, Abbey’s Facebook page has been filled with wishes to get well, and her family and friends have been sending their prayers to her, Courtney said.

“An overwhelming amount of people have been calling, texting and Facebooking,” she said. “It’s really nice to get support from everybody.”

The St. Patrick's Day case was handled by the Mount Pleasant Police Department with CMUPD assisting in the case.

MPPD Public Information Officer Jeff Thompson said the incident was reported within the South Main Street area, but because the case is still under investigation, MPPD can’t release additional details.

“At this point, it’s still being investigated," Thompson said. "Basically, the female has a head injury, and she’s being treated for that. (Other than) that, there isn’t anything to release at this point."